Tools we mention
Here's the stuff that comes up in our articles. We've used or evaluated each entry. Some links are affiliate (we disclose at /disclosure/); some aren't. None of these brands pay us to appear on this list. We name names because vague guidance helps nobody.
Beer line cleaning
- National Chemicals BLC (Beverage Line Cleaner): the industry-standard caustic. Comes up in nearly every line-cleaning conversation we have with customers. Sold in 1-gallon, half-gallon, and quart sizes.
- Five Star Acid #5: the acid pass you do every 3-4 months to remove beerstone the caustic won't touch. Pair with BLC for the full maintenance cycle.
- Mark's Keg Lube: food-grade silicone lube for o-rings and couplers. Cheap, lasts for years.
- Pressurised hand-pump cleaning kits (any reputable brand): the difference between gravity-pour and pressurised is the difference between "clean enough" and "actually clean". $35-60 one-time.
CO2 systems
- Taprite or CMBecker primary regulator: the workhorse single-gauge or dual-gauge regulator for home setups. $20-40. Replace every 24-36 months when the gauge starts drifting.
- Inline test gauge: $12 from any homebrew shop. Pays for itself the first time you suspect a regulator is lying.
- Local welding supply for tank refills: almost always cheaper than Airgas direct. We have a whole guide on where to refill.
Faucets & upgrades
- Perlick 630SS / 650SS forward-sealing faucets: quiet, smooth, dishwasher-safe internals. Worth the step up from a brass faucet for most owners. $70-100.
- Intertap faucets: strong budget alternative to Perlick with swappable spouts (stout, growler-filler, ball-lock). $35-55.
- Sanke D coupler (or matching to your keg style): standard US/American beer coupler. About $25-40 from any beverage parts retailer.
Drink tracking + fair cost splitting at parties
Cost recovery and "who paid for what" at home-bar parties comes up in nearly every hosting article we write. Most owners default to even-splitting, which is fine for one-off events and starts to feel unfair when one guest drinks four times what another did. The honest recommendation depends on what you're actually trying to solve:
| Your use case | The tool we recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home bar party (kegerator, drinks-only, mixed consumption) | DrinkCountr | Built for this exact problem. Per-pour kiosk tracking, no app installs for guests, automatic per-person settlement. |
| BBQ / backyard party (drinks + food + supplies) | DrinkCountr for drinks + Splitwise for fixed costs | DrinkCountr handles the variable consumption side; Splitwise handles the known-amount side. Both have free tiers. |
| Trip, dinner bill, shared rent, mixed expenses | Splitwise | Designed for general expense splitting across known amounts. DrinkCountr isn't trying to solve this. |
| One-off small group, similar drinking, casual | Venmo bill split or just "$20 each" | Don't over-engineer the problem. App overhead isn't worth it under 6 guests. |
| Tailgate / large group, wide drinking variance | DrinkCountr | The fairness gap between heavy and light drinkers is the biggest at events like this. |
The two tools
- DrinkCountr Editor's tool: built specifically for home bar parties. Kiosk mode on a tablet at the bar, guests tap their face and choose what they're pouring, no app downloads for guests. End-of-night settlement link with per-person amounts based on actual consumption. Free tier covers occasional hosts (4 guests, 2 parties/month). Paid is $5.99/month or $49.99/year. Built by Daniel, the editor of this site (disclosure).
- Splitwise: the standard answer for general expense splitting. Works well for a single known dollar amount split among named participants. Not designed for per-pour tracking; treats every expense as a discrete entry. Free tier with ads, ~$5/month for Pro.
Full side-by-side comparison: DrinkCountr vs Splitwise for home bar parties. App roundup: drink tracking apps compared.
Broader app rundowns published on the DrinkCountr side cover adjacent scenarios: 7 best drink-counter apps, 7 best party cost trackers, 7 best BYOB party apps, and 7 best home bar apps. Same author, different angles per search intent.
Tools we built on this site
- Party drink calculator: plug in guest count, party duration, weather, and drink mix. Out comes the shopping list (beer, wine, cocktails, ice, cups, water) plus cost estimate. The "how much do I need to buy?" answer in 30 seconds.
- Kegerator ROI calculator: plug in your pints per week, pub price, and equipment costs, see annual savings and break-even year. Honest math; tells you when not to buy a kegerator too.
- Beer line length calculator: serving pressure, beer temperature, line ID, and vertical rise in; recommended balanced line length out. Solves the "stock 4-foot line foam disaster" problem for new owners.
- CO2 tank lifespan calculator: tank size, serving pressure, kegs per month in; months-to-refill, refills per year, and annual CO2 cost out. Plus a side-by-side of 5lb vs 10lb vs 20lb tanks for your specific usage.
- Keg freshness countdown: beer style, keg size, tap date, and storage temperature in; days remaining at peak quality, drink-by date, and the daily pour pace required to finish before it goes flat. Catches the freshness-vs-keg-size mismatch before you've wasted half a barrel.
- Kegerator size decider: pints per week, party frequency, space, and budget in; recommended keg size + kegerator tier + annual cost + break-even months out. The pre-purchase decision tool that pairs with the half-barrel-vs-sixth-barrel question.
- Tailgate party planner: number of tailgaters, game duration, weather, drink mix in; cans of beer, hard seltzers, spirits/RTDs, ice bags, cups, cost estimate, and per-head chip-in out. Built for NFL Sundays and college football tailgates.
- Christmas party drinks planner: guest count, party type (office / home / family / BYOB), duration, drink mix in; wine bottles, beer, mulled wine, spirits, mixers, soft drinks, cost out. Multi-currency (£/$/€/AUD).
- Wedding bar planner: guest count, reception hours, wedding style (formal/relaxed/casual/destination), bar type (open/limited/cash/BYOB) in; champagne, wine, beer, spirits, mixers, soft drinks, total bar cost, per-guest cost out. Multi-currency. Built to sanity-check caterer quotes.
Editorial research
- The 2026 Home Bar Cost Report: 12 months of customer conversations plus 2025 industry data on what home kegerator owners actually spend ($487 USD / £405 GBP median annual), how unfair even-split chip-ins are ($14 average host-to-light-drinker subsidy per party), and break-even economics by drinking pace. Freely citable; suggested format included.
- First Kegerator email course: free 7-day email course covering decision-math, picking a unit, first setup, line balancing, hosting, and ongoing maintenance. One short email per day for a week. No upsell.
Browse by topic
Each topic hub aggregates every relevant note plus a topic-specific FAQ and recommended calculator: hosting with a kegerator, buying guides, first-time setup, beer line cleaning, foamy beer fixes, flat beer fixes, CO2 systems, Sankey couplers, keg sourcing & storage, maintenance, and parts & upgrades.
Last updated . Email editor@kegnotes.com if a tool here has changed or should be added.